Welcome to the Ability Shop!

Chapter 328 Promote Me!
For Chen Xuan, things like synchronized skill development and salary increases were minor matters; they happened with every promotion and didn't significantly improve his situation.

The removal of restrictions on ability trading was good news. Chen Xuan quickly skimmed through the instructions and found that it was exactly as the words implied—the performance points data had disappeared from the app, and the previous restrictions to prevent him from artificially inflating performance points were also gone. In other words, the pile of white Cleansing Mantras and Spirit Sword Techniques in his inventory had become tradable goods. Helping villagers adjust their abilities no longer had to be done on-site; instead, they could be stored first, and then traded to whoever was more suitable for the ability. This greatly increased his freedom.

This is easy to understand.

After all, his rank has been promoted.

Just like clock-in systems are designed for lower-level employees, senior management doesn't care whether you clock in or not.

Another change, unlocking the control room, is much more complicated.

According to the explanation above, the store now has an additional floor... This extra fourth floor is the control room.

Filled with curiosity, Chen Xuan entered the stairwell and climbed to the third floor. Sure enough, the staircase, which should have ended there, had an extra section.

As he climbed the stairs, a door blocked his way.

Its style is distinctly different from the lower floors.

If the first floor has a shop vibe, the second floor a hotel vibe, and the third floor a restaurant vibe, then the door to the fourth floor gives off a distant, cold, and technological feel. It's entirely matte gray, made of metal, with yellow anti-pinch warning strips on the four corners, and a call panel is embedded next to the door.

Chen Xuan couldn't find the doorknob for a moment.

However, as he approached the door, a beam of green light swept down from above the lintel.

"Identity verification in progress... Verification passed, welcome, store manager."

The metal door then slid open automatically to both sides.

This is... far too ceremonial, as if I've become some kind of extraordinary person. Chen Xuan subconsciously straightened his body and stepped into the doorway.

The room inside was small, about the size of an operating room. There was a recliner in the center, and the ceiling above provided even lighting. There was nothing else furnished.

Anyone who sees this scene will understand what to do next.

Chen Xuan was no exception.

“Okay…” he muttered as he sat down in the recliner, straightening his back. “I’d like to see what it’s up to.”

The next second, the ceiling went out.

The room was plunged into complete darkness. Even with his divine eye activated, he couldn't see anything... Such an absolutely dark environment was rare. Chen Xuan felt a little panicked and unconsciously tried to sit up, but he quickly realized that there was no chair under his buttocks at all. He felt as if he was floating in a void.

Immediately afterwards, light appeared around him, forming three-dimensional maps that would intelligently zoom in and out as his gaze moved.

It only took him a few seconds to realize where the maps were pointing.

These are all branch maps!

For example, isn't this suite hidden in an apartment building on the street a branch of the Paris branch? And this entire high-rise building, all marked as a branch, is the Bolognese Hotel, a gift from the Walter Company...

Not only were the branches accurately depicted on the map, but the surrounding houses, streets, and even the flow of people were also vividly included. With just a thought, Chen Xuan could see all their details... The architectural structures were as transparent as if they were transparent, completely visible to him.

He also discovered that if he focused his attention on a particular branch, a details box would pop up next to it, which contained information such as the store's activation status, transaction records, and inventory.

He could even see the Wi-Fi data, clearly showing the signal coverage area and how many devices were connected.

Scroll down further to find the store manager's options.

After fiddling with it for a while, Chen Xuan's astonishment grew—if the app on the bar's computer was merely a restricted access port, then the control room managed the store's operational mechanism. For example, he could now switch the main store and the branch stores!

Under the store option, any property with ownership rights can be set as the main store, and the store in Tianlu Community will automatically become a branch store.

This means that even if the address is exposed, he can minimize losses by relocating the main store, and the store's survivability will be greatly improved.

Secondly, he can also adjust some of the store's functions.

For example, the passageway connecting the elevator can be customized. He only needs to activate two branches at the same time, then cancel the elevator function, and connect the two passageways together to achieve a seamless connection between the two worlds!
Previously, transporting people and goods across the world required transferring via elevators, a cumbersome process. Now, it's undoubtedly much simpler; villagers from the remote mountains can simply walk through a door into the future Paris.

The same applies to Wi-Fi. Not only can you change the password and set a whitelist, but you also have a power control slider. Dragging it to the end can enable overload operation, doubling the effective range of Wi-Fi, at the cost of doubling the electricity bill.

There are many similar options.

From this perspective, the store is more like a castle made up of many building blocks, with each branch and each functional area being replaceable like modules.

A sense of emotion welled up in Chen Xuan's heart.

Perhaps only now... has he truly become the manager of the Ability Shop.

Furthermore, this store doesn't exist for collecting abilities... or generating more revenue; it must have a deeper purpose, which you just need to discover further.

Is that goal related to ascension?

The term "ascension" appears in descriptions of demons, dimensional mechanisms, and even the abilities of the Lotus Cloud Sect. What exactly does ascension represent? A path? An outcome? Or a direction of cultivation?
Chen Xuan couldn't guess.

But in any world, there are currently no signs of ascension. The Lotus Cloud Sect, where Liu Shuyue resides, remains shrouded in mystery, with constant conflicts between the six kingdoms, and the cultivators' strength is even weaker than during the Ji Yun and Ji Lian era; in Elori's world, although the destruction of surface civilization has been avoided, social development has fallen into difficulties, with large corporations controlled by demons becoming the dominant force; as for this place... he simply does not believe that that dilapidated future is the ascension goal pursued by the organization.

Since he had no clue, Chen Xuan simply put the question aside for the time being.

Oh right... I'm already a Level 6 store manager now, so the promotion criteria for the next level should be unlocked.

Any operation that can be done on the computer at the bar can also be done in the control room. He swipes his finger in the air to open the store manager app, and sure enough, the store manager rating page has been updated.

"puff!"

When Chen Xuan saw the requirements, he almost spat out his drink.

It's true what they say, what you fear most is what happens...

He couldn't help but mutter to himself.

The sign read: "Store Manager LV7 Application Requirements - Witness Your Ascension."

There are indeed no performance requirements anymore, but the conditions are becoming increasingly outrageous. Saving the world was already exaggerated enough, and being able to meet the targets was purely an accident. Now, even the conditions themselves have become a mystery. How are people supposed to work hard under these circumstances?

You should at least explain to me what ascension is!
Despite his complaints, Chen Xuan gleaned some insight from that short sentence: witnessing ascension, rather than ascending himself… This indicated that the shopkeeper's mission wasn't ascension. He himself didn't ascend; simply witnessing others ascend or the phenomenon of ascension fulfilled the requirement. Did this mean ascension was more of a concrete action than an abstract concept like a path or the direction of civilization's development?

Chen Xuan sent a new email and began filling out his promotion application.

He was no longer the inexperienced store manager who solemnly submitted his application only after confirming that all the promotion requirements were met. Since the store wouldn't return rejected applications, and he could be promoted once the conditions were met, why should he bother boasting about his great achievements?

Therefore, this email was extremely concise, lacking any sincere self-description or detailed presentation of achievements; the entire message consisted of only one sentence: "Promote me!"

(End of this chapter)